Our Chief Minister has pledged RM4 million this year for the State’s 14 Chinese independent schools. That’s basically Chinese-medium secondary schools. They are different from Chinese-medium primary schools, which are aided schools much like Mission schools are.

That’s a cool RM1 million more than the RM3 million he allocated to Chinese independent schools last year!

I don’t know how they are going to divvy up the funds but divided by 14, that’s around RM285,714 each. Well deserved funds to improve education in the State.

Some readers may not understand why I say funding for Chinese-medium schools is good for the State overall. Well many of us here in Sarawak would actually know this.

In some areas, even when there are national schools, the Chinese-medium schools are still the choice of various communities. Yes as in Sarawakians of various ethnic and religious backgrounds.

Those of us from some rural areas would know that the only schools around are Chinese-medium ones. And the wonderful thing is the majority of the students are Bumiputeras.

Yup in some Chinese-medium schools in the state, you may not find many Chinese students at all!

I have relatives who attended Chinese schools and they definitely benefited from their time there. Being able to speak Mandarin has been a real advantage for them in their careers, whether in the civil service, corporate world, service industry or with businesses of their own.

The alumni of Chinese-medium schools in the State have gone on to contribute to Sarawak in many ways.

Hence my point that Datuk Patinggi Adenan is indeed wise to allocate more funding to Chinese schools because it will definitely benefit the State too in the future.

Here’s the story from The Borneo Post:

Chinese schools get big ‘angpow’

by Lim How Pim

KUCHING: Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem gave the Chinese community more things to cheer about last night when he pledged RM4 million for 14 Chinese independent schools in the state for this year.

This is RM1 million more than what he gave these Chinese independent schools last year.

In announcing this at the MBKS Chinese New Year Open House at Dewan Masyarakat here, the Chief Minister acknowledged the strong emphasis on education among the Chinese community for their children.

“Last year, I gave RM3 million to the 14 Chinese independent schools in Sarawak. But Richard Wee and (Temenggong) Vincent Lau (both are leaders of management committees of Chinese independent schools in Sarawak) asked again.

“So, this year, I give RM4 million. But don’t forget that a year later you will have to choose … and don’t forget Adenan’s face, okay?” he said to the applause of some 50,000 people at the festive gathering that was attended by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor.